At the 23rd FIFA World Cup, hosted this year by the US, Canada and Mexico, fans are protesting Israel and supporting Palestine. Israel's impunity on international platforms for war crimes committed by targeting civilians and residential areas since October 7, 2023, remains a subject of debate.
The latest example of this debate is FIFA's failure to ban Israel from international sports organizations. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, independent sports and civil society representatives are staging actions at the tournament to press their demands, in response to FIFA's inability to penalize or sanction Israel.
Although the Israeli national team did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Israeli fans attending matches to follow the tournament are met with reactions from supporters of Palestine from other countries wherever they go.
Banner protest
In Toronto, Canada, one of the World Cup host cities, a group of activists unfurled a banner reading 'Expel Israel from FIFA' on one of the city's busiest main roads on June 12. In another incident, an Israeli fan attempted to display an Israeli flag during the Iran-New Zealand match on June 16, but the attempt was not permitted and drew reactions from other fans.
'There is a genocide'
On June 27, in Miami, Florida, a Scottish fan told cameras, 'I was a nurse in Gaza. I saw what happened. There is a genocide.'
Flags unfurled
Before many matches at the tournament, fans from countries such as Bosnia, Egypt, and Iran gathered in front of stadiums and in crowded squares, chanting pro-Palestine slogans. Palestinian flags were unfurled in the stadiums.
In the latest incident, during the World Cup round of 32 match between host United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which Bosnia lost 2-0, pro-Palestine slogans were chanted, and Bosnian fans unfurled Palestinian flags, openly continuing their support for Palestine despite the defeat.
